


Tulips

by thatdamneddame



Series: Tulips [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Office, Alternate Universe - Ordinary People, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 05:26:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/683338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdamneddame/pseuds/thatdamneddame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are tulips, pink and white, sitting in a vase on Phil’s desk when he gets back from lunch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tulips

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the eternally wonderful prettyasadiagram for the beta. You rock, lady.

There are tulips, pink and white, sitting in a vase on Phil’s desk when he gets back from lunch.

“Flowers came for you, Boss,” Darcy says, like that much isn’t already obvious.

Phil doesn’t ask who they’re from, he already knows. Today is going to be an interesting day.

 

***

 

Clint’s on the road a lot; it’s part of the deal. They’ve never really spent any amount of time crying over it because it’s not like Phil’s going to ask Clint to _stop_. Besides, and Phil will only admit this in the not quite night, not quite morning, whispering it into Clint’s skin, he’s always liked a man in uniform. He’s always liked Clint best happy, and this job makes him happy.

Besides, it’s not like the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.

 

***

 

Phil tells Darcy to clear his schedule for the rest of the afternoon. She agrees gamely and Phil pretends not to notice that she’s gossiping over gchat with Jane over in R&D about his love life.

 

***

 

They were both in the army, but that is not where they met. Instead, they met at the VA center. Phil is finding out what services are offered in the area. Clint is explaining how they can bite him. They end up sitting next to each other in the too small waiting room, drinking lukewarm coffee, and complaining about it. It’s not exactly love at first sight, but it’s warm and it’s comfortable and Phil never has a single doubt.

 

***

 

They don’t really do special occasions, but Clint buys Phil ties and glittery office supplies and the box set of M*A*S*H when he’s home. He sends tulips when he’s away.

Phil knows now, even though they never really ascribed meaning to them, that variegated means things aren’t going well and yellow means Clint’s going to have to stay away longer. Purple means he’s lonely. White means he’s coming home soon and pink means _I love you_.

Valentine’s Day isn’t really their thing, but Phil looks at the tulips on his desk and thinks this is exactly the present he wanted anyways.

 

***

 

“Security Consultant Phil Coulson,” Tony greets. There is no point in yelling at Darcy. Tony never comes by when he has a meeting.

“Stark,” Phil answers, not looking up from his computer. It is, he has learned, the best way to deal with him.

Tony grins, “Did Darcy buy you flowers so you wouldn’t feel alone?” He looks for a card, but there isn’t one. Clint sends flowers. That’s sentiment enough.

“Did you have a question, Mr. Stark?” Phil asks instead. “I’m trying to prepare for our meeting on Monday.”

Tony sits at the edge of Phil’s desk, dangerously close to his bouquet, “Look at you, always one step ahead. It’s Valentine’s Day, live a little.”

“Please leave,” Phil tells him. Tony Stark is smart enough to know that it’s not a request.

 

***

 

“I always think it’s strange,” Clint said once, “that I got the honorable discharge and you didn’t.”

Phil traces the scar on Clint’s abdomen with his fingers and then with his tongue. He knows that there’s a matching one on Clint’s back. Knows that he was _this close_ to losing Clint before he even got a chance to meet him. “I’m sure, given time and lack of injuries,” Phil says, moves his hands lower, scratches his fingers against Clint’s belly just to hear that sound he always makes, “that we would be in the same boat. You never could keep it in your pants.”

Clint grins, grabbing a handful of Phil’s ass, “You complaining?”

“No,” Phil tells him, “just saying.” And then he shuts Clint up the only way he knows how, with a kiss.

 

***

 

There is a man outside Phil’s office. Through the door he can hear Darcy denying him access.

“What if I say ‘pretty please with sugar on top’?” Clint asks. He sounds relaxed. Everything went okay, then.

Phil presses the intercom, “It’s okay, Darcy. Let him in.” He lets go of the button but he can still hear Darcy grouse, _he has freaky bat hearing, I swear, but you’re good to go_.

“I like her,” Clint says, closing the door behind him. He’s wearing a blazer and rumpled button down. Phil figures he came straight from the airport.

“You would,” Phil agrees, standing. He pulls Clint in by his belt loops and kisses him once, softly, on the mouth, “Welcome home.”

“I see you got my flowers.” Clint puts his hand in the back pocket of Phil’s pants and it says something about how head over heels Phil is because he doesn’t blush or say _not at work_ , just leans in again and says, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

 

***

 

Clint and Phil aren’t a big deal so they don’t make themselves into one. There is no fear or embarrassment or shame. Phil doesn't talk about Clint because it’s nobody else’s business. Phil doesn’t really know what Clint says about him at work, but Clint’s partner Natasha waters their plants when they go out of town and was a witness at their wedding.

For Valentine’s Day the year before, they stayed in and watched _Say Yes to the Dress_ because it was the only thing they could agree on. The year before that, they were in a hospital watching Phil’s mother die.

There’s not really a point in making a big to-do on Valentine’s Day and anniversary’s because Phil is happy every day and Phil is in love every day. Because Clint sends him flowers when he’s away, and really, that’s enough.

 

***

 

“This is not Catarina, your Brazilian model girlfriend.” Tony Stark says, standing once more, uninvited, in Phil’s office. He seems mesmerized by Clint’s hand still resting on Phil’s ass.

“No,” Phil agrees, “This is Clint, my US Marshal husband.”

“Caterina sounds hot though,” Clint adds, turning to Phil, “You should introduce us.”

“Only if you behave yourself,” Phil tells him seriously.

Tony narrows his eyes, “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I don’t like it.”

It doesn’t matter if Tony Stark or Darcy Lewis or anyone else in the world gets Clint-and-Phil, because Clint’s laugh is warm in Phil’s ear. Because Clint loves him and Clint came home to him and Phil knows, that’s all that really matters.


End file.
